Fake engineer worked on coal projects

ENGINEERING projects across Queensland have had to be reassessed after a fake engineer, who worked on a building that collapsed in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, worked on them using a fake name and qualifications.

Gerald Shirtcliffe, under the truncated name Gerald Shirtcliff, featured in the New Zealand royal commission into the Christchurch earthquakes over his role supervising the construction of the CTV building, which collapsed on February 22 2011, killing 115 people.

Shirtcliffe, 66 of Victoria Point, pleaded guilty on June 12 to 146 charges, including carrying out professional engineering services while not a registered engineer, and making "false and misleading" statements to the Board of Professional Engineers of Queensland.

In Queensland, Shirtcliffe worked for engineering firms Worley Parsons Limited and Sedgman Limited, where he worked on several major projects.

He also worked on the southern expansion of Mount Isa Mines' Black Star open cut mine in outback Queensland, along with New Auckland in Gladstone.